Tobacco stringer



Jan. 16, 1951 c. MCNEILL TOBACCO STRINGER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2. 1945 jwuontm Jan. 16, 1951 c. MONEILL 2,538,698

TOBACCO STRINGER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1946 Jan. 16, 1951 Filed Dec. 2. 1946 c. MCNEILL 2,538,698

TOBACCO STRINGER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 V, wucmtav Cyrus Bill Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for looping and securing hands of tobacco or the like to a tobacco carrying stick, preliminary to the hanging of the stick of tobacco in a tobacco curing or drying barn.

As is known to those skilled in the art, it is the custom on tobacco farms to hang sticks of tobacco across the rafters or on special tier poles or frames in a barn, and to then close the barn and apply heat to the tobacco to cure and dry the same, the heat being supplied either by flues in the ham, or by burners of the open flame type, there being controlled ventilation through the barn including conduits for the entrance of fresh air near the floor of the barn, and egress ventilating openings through the roof of the barn for the outward passage of the heated air.

In order to deliver a crop of tobacco properly cured at the right market time, it is essential that the curing operation be carried out properly and promptly. Due to the expense of the curing operation, it is essential to have a full barn when curing is commenced, and to be able to cure one or more barns in rapid succession, in order to then remove the crop and utilize the same barn or barns for the curing of subsequent quantities of the tobacco.

At the present time, it is difficult to obtain adequate and satisfactory labor in gathering the crop, in preparing it for curing, and in carrying out the curing operation. The present invention is concerned with one of the most important operations in the overall curing procedure, i. e., arranging the gathered crop in bunches or hands of tobacco leaves, and attaching them to the supporting sticks so that they may be promptly hung for curing in the barn.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for rapidly attaching hands of tobacco to supporting sticks while employing a minimum of labor.

It is also an object of the invention to provide apparatus which will rapidly and firmly attach the hands of tobacco to the sticks, in such manner that a maximum quantity of tobacco may be attached to a particular stick, yet being properly spaced in order that when hung in the barn the curing action may be uniform.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a self-contained apparatus of the type referred to, which can be operated by a relatively few number of attendants, and which is capable of being mounted on a truck or mobile structure, so that teams of personnel reasonably skilled in the curing operations may proceed from barn to barn, and properly rack the tobacco in a minimum time, preparatory to the curing operation.

The invention comprises a looping finger located at a looping station which is mounted to sweep alternately through substantially 360 in opposite directions around a fixed pivot positioned directly above a point through which the tobacco stick is intermittently fed. It is an important object of the invention to provide a construction which avoids any necessity for laterally shifting the pivot of the looping finger, thereby eliminating any possibility of tangling the looping string during operations of the looper.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description herein progresses.

In the drawings, which are made somewhat diagrammatic, in order to more clearly illustrate the various working parts, and which show a structure which could be modified to a substantial degree in order to carry out the purposes referred to:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus, showing its condition when in use in securing hands of tobacco to one of the sticks.

Figures 2 through 5 are enlarged detailed views, disclosing successive movements of the looping finger in securing tobacco to a stick, as well as the successive cooperating movements of the stick carrying conveyor in order to tighten the loops of strings around the hands of tobacco.

Figure 6 is a view of a typical stick of tobacco, completely covered by a number of hands of tobacco secured thereto.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the mounting of the looping assembly.

Figure. 8 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the drive for the looping assembly, this view being generally taken along the line 8-8 01' Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a top plan detailed view of a portion of the looping'assembly, showing the arrangement of a control device for governing the feed of the looping string.

Figure 10 is a partial side elevational view, likewise partly in section, showing one end of the stick feeding conveyor.

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line Hll of Figure 10.

Referring to Figure l, the apparatus comprises a frame including suitable upright and cross connecting members, attached together in any convenient and appropriate manner. The end of the frame shown at the right of Figure l is somewhat elevated to carry the string looping mechanism, and the opposite end shown at the left in the ngure is of lesser height in order to conveniently teed the tobacco carrying sticks successively past and beneath the looper, as hereinafter described.

In general, the essential parts of the apparatus consist of a looping mechanism L and a conveyor C, which are arranged and synchronized in their drive from a source of power such as the electric motor M, in such manner as to loop or attach hands of tobacco or the like H alternately and in predetermined spaced relation on opposite sides along the tobacco carrying stick S, whereby said stick may be taken from the machine in the condition shown in Figure 6, with a number of the hands of tobacco looped or secured to the stick by a string R. When a bare stick of wood S is placed on the conveyor, it is moved longitudinally in a direction from left to right as viewed in the figures past and beneath the looper. With the assistance of two attendants, standing on opposite sides of the looper, successive hands of tobacco are positioned against the opposite sides of the stick, and the apparatus automatically loops or secures the hands to the stick in the manner and arrangement shown in Figure 6, the hands being attached or looped at a single looping station as the conveyor moves the stick past this station from left to right. While the length of the stick and the spacing of the hands thereon may vary, I have successfully used a stick which is about 5 feet in length, securing thereto approximately 31 hands of tobacco of 3 or 4 leaves each, there being bare spaces at each end of the stick of about 4 inches in length. The leaves of tobacco are usually to 18 inches long, turning stairs of several inches in length. It will be understood that the above dimensions may vary, particularly in view of the fact that the machine has a hand take-up mechanism, enabling the machine to accommodate itself to such variations as in the length of the stick, etc. under the above circumstances, the machine could be adjusted to feed the stick forwardly about 13/; inches or more between attachment of each hand.

It will be understood that the looper includes a moving finger F hereinafter described, which manipulates the string R and controls its feed from a spool of string B suitably mounted on the frame, the end of the string being first attached to the leading end of the stick by a tack or in any other manner as illustrated at H3 in Figure 6. It will be further understood that after one stick has been completely filled with the proper number of hands of tobacco, as illustrated in Figure 6, the string is cut or broken by hand by one of the attendants, and its broken end is likewise attached or tacked adjacent the trailing edge of the stick in the vicinity of the point indicated by the numeral l2 in Figure 6. Successive sticks are moved by the conveyor and filled with hands of tobacco in a rapid and expeditious manner, as will be clearly apparent as the description herein progresses, it being understood that when a filled stick is removed from the conveyor, the latter will present the leading end of another base stick to the looper so that operations may continue without cessation.

As pr viously indicat d, the essential elements of the machine are the automatic looping mech anism L and the conveyor mechanism C and these devices are synchronized in their operations so that the finger of the looper winds a part of the string around a hand of tobacco properly presented against the stick at the looping station, and when the finger has completed an individual looping movement, as hereinafter described in detail, the synchronized drive for the conveyor moves the stick forwardly in an imprnse having an amplitude substantially equal to the distance between hands of the tobacco as attached to the stick in Figure 6, whereby to tighten the loop firmly around the stalks of the hand previously acted upon in order to firmly attach same to the stick.

The looping action is accomplished by a finger F on the looping mechanism, which remains in a vertical position, but describes a circle when viewed from above or "below, alternately in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, the movements in one direction serving to loop a hand of tobacco on one side of the stick, and the subsequent movement of the finger in the opposite direction serving to loop a hand of tobacco in the next adjacent position on the opposite side of the stick.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 7, the looper comprises a vertical shalt l2 mounted for turning movement in a bearing M extending vertically through a member it of the frame, which in the design shown, constitutes a relatively high or elevated part of the frame The upper end of the rod 12 carries a relatively small driven gear [8, and this gear meshes with a relatively large drive gear 20 which is alternately turned in opposite directions by mechanisms connected with the primary source of power to operate the looping mechanism. There is a collar 22 on that portion of the rod l2 below the frame member it in order that the driven gear it may be removed from mesh with the drive gear 20 in order to adjust or synchronize the looper with the conveyor, as will be apparent when this description is completed.

As best shown in Figure '7, the lower end of the rod i2 terminates in a hollow outwardly bent angular portion or arm 24, and this arm in turn is continued in a further downwardly bent hollow finger F open at or near its lower end for the passage of the string R from the finger. There may be an opening as at 26 in the rod l2 preferably at its bend, in order that the end of the string may be roved through the finger from the spool of thread 13 which is suitably held for turning movement on an upstanding bracket 28 conveniently mounted on the frame portion H3 or at any other associated point.

The string may pass through a pair of eyes 39 and 32 on the side of the frame, and thence through a tension device T on the side of the frame in order to regulate the delivery of the string. If desired, there may be a further control bracket on the frame having an opening therein to guide and facilitate the feed of the string into the looper as clearly shown in Figure 7. The tensioning device T may be of any convenient construction such as in the form of a fixed plate in mounted on the side of the frame member 16, and a. spring pressed movable plate 42 carried on a bolt 44 rigidly secured to the side of the frame member, said bolt having a fixed collar 36 and a spring G8, the latter serving to press the plate 42 toward the plate 40 and thus exert some resistance on the freedom of feed of the string through the tensioning device. Of course, the device as just described may be adjusted in an obvious manner to regulate the feed of the string.

Turning now to Figure 1, the looper drive gear 28 is fixed to a vertical shaft or pin 50 mounted for turning movement in a bearing 5| in the frame member l6 and there is a rocker arm 52 secured at one end to the shaft 50. This rocker arm is moved back and forth generally between the full and dotted line positions indicated in Figure 1, to turn the looper drive and driven gears and to thereby alternately swing the finger F through circles of substantially 360, as viewed from the top, in alternate clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the successive swings of the finger forming loops on opposite sides of the stick. While any suitable means may be employed to rock the arm 52, I have shown this arm as provided with a longitudinal slot 54 which receives a pin 56 extending upwardly from a connecting rod 58 suitably mounted for reciprocation in a slot 60 in an outer frame member 62.

The right hand end of the reciprocating rod 58 has pivoted thereto a connecting rod 6 1 which in turn is pivoted as at B6 to a crank 68 on the outer end of a shaft 10. It will be obvious that when the shaft To is rotated continuously in either direction, the crank 58 through the connecting rod 64 will reciprocate the rod 58 back and forth from right to left as viewed in Figure l, and through the rocker arm 52 and gears 21! and N3 the shaft l2 and the finger F will be alternately rotated in opposite directions. The F, as viewed in Figure 1, will first be swept counter-clockwise throughv 360 in the direction of the arrow to form one loop on the near side of the stick, and thereafter back through 360 in a direction opposite to the arrow of Figure 1 to form a loop on the opposite side of the tobacco carrying stick.

The shaft is carried on the frame in any suitable way as by a strap 12, and it is driven by a pulley '14 secured thereto, through intermediate pulleys l6, l8, and 88, and by means of belts or chains 82 and 8 1, as shown in Figure 1. The initial pulley is mounted on and turns with the shaft of the electric motor M. The pulleys l6 and T8 are mounted on the same shaft and are of diameter to accomplish the desired speed reduction. Of course, any other suitable arrangements for the transfer of power may be provided, including such usual refinements as change speed gears, in order to regulate and adjust the operation of the machine.

Referring to Figures 1 and 10, the conveyor C comprises opposite end sprockets 86 mounted in the frame, there being an endless chain 88 adapted to move around these spaced sprockets. The upper edge of said chain is presented in such direction as to convey a stick forwardly (or to the right) through a point located a spaced distance below the looper shaft l2, the conveyor being so arranged, and of such length, that it can move a stick of proper length by impulses from a position where its leading end is positioned below the looper past and beneath the looper until the final point on the stick for the application of hands of tobacco has passed beneath the looper, at which time the stick may be pull-ed aside by hand from the conveyor, and taken to the curing barn.

At suitable points on the exterior of the conveyor chain 88, there are pusher blocks or equivalent devices 90. I have shown only two of such fill devices, although a more elaborate machine might have more, depending On the length of the sticks being operated upon. These blocks 90 are spaced from one another on the conveyor chain a proper distance so that each block will successively push the sticks past the looper by impulses, as hereinafter described.

Any suitable means may be employed to support the leading ends of the sticks. As indicated in Figure 2, a pair of sloping tracks 92 may be provided on the frame which slant upwardly from the looper toward the right hand end of the frame as viewed in Figure 1. Along this track a trolley mechanism Y of any suitable type is adapted to roll, this mechanism having a strap or socket 96 of design convenient for receiving and supporting the leading end of the tobacco carrying stick. More specifically, the leading end of said stick, which is left vacant of tobacco hands, is inserted into the strap 96 and is thus movably supported on the tracks 32 as the stick moves from left to right in the various figures. It will be understood that when a filled stick is removed from the conveyor, as previously mentioned, the trolley mechanism will automatically roll downwardly to the left to receive the lead ing end of the next stick.

The conveyor, and thus the tobacco carrying stick, is preferably moved by intermittent impulses to feed the stick from left to right beneath the looper in steps or jumps, of amplitude substantially equal to the distance between adjacent hands of tobacco as applied to the stick in the manner shown in Figure 6. Such intermittent movement may be caused by a drive assembly synchronized with the operation of the looper as is shown in Figure l.

The left-hand sprocket as of the conveyor is carried on a shaft Hi0, and is driven thereby, the shaft I09 extending across the frame through a strap I02 and being mounted for turning movement in the direction of the arrow (Figure l) by operation of a ratchet IN. The ratchet is driven by a pawl I06 carried on an arm Hi8 pivoted for turning movement around the shal' t Hill, and in turn being pivoted to a relatively long operating arm Hi]. At its opposite end, the arm H0 is adjustably pivoted as at H2 to the lower end of a vertical arm H l pivoted to the frame as at I 16, the upper end of said arm being oscillated around the pivot H6 by a cam or any suitable device H8. The cam H6 is carried on one end of the shaft 70, which was previously mentioned, this shaft being driven from the primary power source or motor M. The cam fill may be of diamond or other suitable form having high and low points.

When a high point I20 of the cam engages the upper end of the arm M4, the latter is moved to its dotted line position as shown in Figure 1, thus exerting a pull to the right on the long connecting arm I If]. Thus, a certain degree of angular turning movement is imparted to the shaft H0 through the ratchet and pawl mechanism described. Such an amount of turning will move the conveyor and tobacco stick forwardl in one step of predetermined amplitude.

There may be a plurality of openings 12B and in the connecting ends of the arms Hi1 and H4 respectively, to adjust the throw of the conveyor or the amplitude of the forward movement imparted to the tobacco stick on each stroke of the cam H8. The arm H4 is returned to its full line position of Figure 1 when engaged by a low face of the cam lit by a spring I32 which is connected between the lower end of said arm and to any other suitable point, such as to the frame of the machine.

In case it is desired to operate the machine by hand, or to set the position of the tobacco stick, or to adjust the device for difierent lengths of sticks, limited hand operation of the conveyor is provided for. For these purposes, an operating handle I33 is pivoted as at I34 t the frame housing of the conveyor, there being a short connecting rod I35 pivoted to the lower end of said handle and in turn pivoted at its left hand end to the upper end of an arm I36 mounted to turn on the shaft I09. By obvious operation of this handle, a pawl I31 on the arm I36 turns a ratchet fixed to the shaft I00 and thus turns said shaft to a degree necessary to advance the conveyor through the desired amplitude of movement.

Having described the details of the structure involved herein, the operation of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, but successive stages of operation are portrayed in Figures L; through inclusive. In Figure 2, the machine has operated on a particular stick to the extent of having successively attached or looped four hands of tobacco on alternate sides of the stick, and the equipment is shown in the position it would occupy immediatel prior to looping a hand of tobacco on the near side of the stick. The finger F is in its terminal position, being substantially in a vertical plane extending through the longitudinal center line of the tobacco stick, with its bent portion 24 directed toward the trailing end of the stick. When the finger is in this position, an attendant on the near side of the conveyor (standing within the enclosure as viewed in Figure 1), would present a hand H5 of tobacco against the near side of the tobacco stick, and generally just below the vertical shaft I2 of the looper. By the automatic operation of the ma chine, the finger F then sweeps counter-cloc: wise through 360, wrapping a loop of string outwardly and forwardly of the direction of move ment of the stick, around the stalks of the particular hand. The adjustment and synchronism of the machine is such that immediately upon the finger having transversed the 360 of its particular cycle, and upon again reaching the terminal position previously referred to, or at least ShOltl before reaching this position, the cam I I8 (Figure 1) engages the lever II4 with one of its high points, causing a forward advance or impulse cf the conveyor, this moving the stick from left to right a predetermined distance and tightening or looking the loop around the stalks of the particular hand, as indicated in Figure 4. At exact y this time, the attendant on the opposite side of the conveyor (standing outside the frame as constructed in Figure i), would present another hand H) of tobacco to the opposite side of the stick, whereupon the finger exercises a clockwise cycle, drawing the string outwardly around the stalks of the hand, and looping them, this loop being tllQll tightened by another forward impulse of the stick, as previously described.

It will be understood that the above described operations will continue, alternately looping hands of tobacco along opposite sides of the stick until it is filled, as indicated in Figure 6. When the trailing edge of a stick approaches the looping station, the final hand Hill is attached, and the attendant. breaks the string and pins or otherwise attaches its end to the stick in the vicinity of the point I2 (Figure 6). At this time, another attendant will have placed a following stick on the conveyor to be engaged at its trailing end by another of the abutments on the conveyor. The attendant will remove the filled stick, and when the trolley returns by gravity to the looping station, he will insert the leading end of the empty stick into the holder 96 and tack the end of string left hanging from the looping finger to the front end of said stick, after which operations will continuously proceed as described. Of course, the handle I33 may be operated as required to bring the end of the new stick up to the holder on the trolley Y.

As previously mentioned, a most important aspect of the invention resides in the construction whereby the pivot for the fingers F, provided by the bearing I4 in the frame for the shaft I2, is fixed directly above the longitudinal path of the stick S. The length of the angular portion 24 of the shaft I2 is such, with relation to the width of the stick, that the finger can move out around hands on opposite sides of the stick without any necessity to displace or laterally shift the pivot point of the shaft I2, thereby avoiding the probability of tangling the string if the attendants fail to position a hand at the exact proper time against the stick.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points along the side of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of said frame above a point through which a stick is fed, said rod having a string manipulating finger extending therefrom whereby the finger is rotatable about a stationary axis fixed with respect to the frame, said finger having means for passing string therethrough and from the end thereof, means on said frame for supplying thread to said finger, and means on said frame for turning said rod in its pivot to loop with string hands of tobacco successively positioned against the side of a stick as the latter is moved longitudinally past said looper through the point below said rod.

2. Apparatus for alternately looping hands of tobacco or the like onto the opposite sides of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of said frame above a point through which a stick is fed, said rod having a string manipulating finger extending therefrom whereby the finger is rotatable about a stationary axis fixed with respect to the frame, said finger having means for passing string therethrough, and from the end thereof, means on said frame for supplying thread to said string manipulating finger, and means on said frame for alternately turning said rod in its pivot in opposite directions to loop with string the hands of tobacco successively positioned alternately against opposite sides of a stick as the latter is moved longitudinally past said looper through the point below said rod.

3. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points along the side of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a sta tionary member of said frame above a point through which a stick is fed, said rod having a string manipulating finger extending therefrom whereby the finger is rotatable about a stationary axis fixed with respect to the frame, said finger having means for passing the looping string therethrough and from the end thereof from a supply of string on said frame, a power shaft on said frame having means to operate the same, a stick conveyor carried by said frame for intermittently moving a stick longitudinally past said looper in impulses having amplitudes substantially equal to the desired distance between hands of tobacco secured to the stick, means on said frame for turning said rod in its pivot to loop with string the hands of tobacco successively po itioned against the side of the stick, and means coordinating the movements of said rod and said conveyor to tighten each loop around a hand formed by said finger by a subsequent impulse of the st ck.

4. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points alternately along the opposite sides of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of said frame above a point through which a stick is fed, said rod havin a string manipulating finger extending therefrom whereby the finger is rotatable about a stationary axis fixed with respect to the frame, said finger having means for passing the IOODlIlq string therethrough and from the end thereof from a supply of string on said frame, a power having means to operate the same, a stick conveyor carried by said frame for intermittently moving a stick longitudinally past said looper in impulses having amplitudes substantially equal to the desired distance between hands of tobacco secured to the stick, means on said frame for alternately turning said rod in its pivot in opposite directions to loop with string the hands of tobacco successively positioned against opposite sides of the stick, and means coordinating the movements of said rod and said conveyor to t ghten each loop around a hand formed by said finger by a subsequent impulse of the stick.

5. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points along the side of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of said frame above a po nt through which a stick is fed, said rod having a string manipulating finger extending therefrom, said finger having means for passing the looping string therethrough from a supply of string on said frame. a power shaft on said frame having means to operate the same, a stick conveyor carried by said frame for intermittently moving a stick longitudinally past said looper in equal to the desired distance between hands of tobacco secured to the stick, means on said frame for turning said rod in its pivot to loop with strin the hands of tobacco successively positioned against the side of the stick, means coordinating the movements of said rod and sa d conveyor to tighten each loop around a hand formed by Said finger by a subsequent impulse of the stick, and manually operable means included in said conveyor for advancing the latter and a stick to a limited extent while the looper remains stat onary to properly positon sticks of varying lengths with respect to said looper preparatory to looping the hands thereon.

6. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or r the like at predetermined spaced points alternately along opposite sides of a stick, comprising a frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of said frame above a point through which a stick is fed, said impulses having amplitudes substantially shaft on said frame I all) rod having a string manipulating finger extending therefrom, said finger having means for passing the looping string therethrough, and from the end thereof from a supply of string on said frame, a power shaft on said frame having means to operate the same, a stick conveyor carried by said frame for intermittently movin a stick longitudinally past said looper in impulses having amplitudes substantially equal to the desired distance between hands of tobacco secured to the stick, means on said frame for alternately turning said rod in its pivot in opposite directions to loop with string the hands of tobacco successively positioned against opposite sides of the stick, means coordinating the movements of said rod and said conveyor to tighten each loop around a hand formed by said finger by a subsequent impulse of the stick, a movable support for the leading end of the stick and a sociated means mounting same for movement from and toward said looper in the direction of movement of said conveyor, manually operable means for advancing said conveyor and a stick to a limited extent and means disconnecting said coordinating means whereby the conveyor and stick may be moved while the looper remains stationary so as to adjust the stick with its leading end positioned in said support preparatory to intermittently moving the stick past said looper to loop the hands of tobacco thereto.

7. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like alternately along opposite sides of a stick at spaced points a predetermined distance apart, comprising a frame, a power shaft driven by an electric motor on said frame, a looper comprising a rod pivotally supported on a stationary member of an upper part of said frame for alternate turning movements in opposite directions, said rod having a string manipulating finger depending therefrom and displaced from the axis of said rod whereby the finger is rotatable about a stationary axis fixed with respect to the frame, said finger having a passage therein whereby string may be drawn from the end of said finger, means on said frame for supplying the string to said looper, a conveyor mounted on a lower part of said frame and positioned to feed a stick longitudinally past said looper through a point below and in alignment with said rod, drive connections leading from said power shaft for alternately turning said rod in opposite directions to bodily displace said finger substantially through 360 com mencin': and terminating in a position sub stantially directly above said stick, whereby a string secured to the leading end of said stick and pa sing through said finger may be successively looped by said finger around upwardly presented sta ks of hands of tobacco placed alternatelv against the opposite sides of said stick, and further drive connections leading from said power shaft and synchronized with said first named drive connections for intermittently moving said conveyor and a stick longitudinally and in impulses forwardly beneath said looper and immediately after a cycle of turning of said finger, whereby to tighten the loop of string around a hand of tobacco, the amplitude of each impulse of the conveyor being substantially equal to the desired predetermined distance beween the hands.

8. Apparatus for looping hands of tobacco or the like alternately along opposite sides of a stick at spaced points a predetermined distance apart, comprising a frame, a power shaft driven by an electric motor on said frame, a looper comprising a rod vertically mounted in a fixed pivot on an upper part of said frame for alternate turning movements in opposite directions, said rod having a string manipulating, finger depending therefrom and displaced from the axis of said rod, said finger having a passage therein whereby string may be drawn from the end of said finger, means on said frame for supplying the string to said looper, a conveyor mounted on a lower part of said frame and positioned to feed a stick longitudinally past said looper through a point below and in alignment with said rod, drive connections leading from said' power shaft for alternately turning said rod in opposite directions to bodily displace said finger substantially through 360 commencing and terminating in a position substantially directly above said stick, whereby a string secured to the leading end of said stick and passing through said finger may be successively looped by said finger around upwardly presented stalks of hands of tobacco placed alternately against the opposite sides of said stick, further drive connections leading from said power shaft and synchronized with said first named drive connections for intermittently moving said conveyor and a stick longitudinally and in impulses forwardly beneath said looper and immediately after a cycle of turning of said finger, whereby to tighten the loop of string around a hand of tobacco, the amplitude of each impulse of the conveyor being substantially equal to the desired predetermined distance between the hands,

manually operable means included in said conveyor for advancing the same and a stick to any desired extent to properly present sticks of varying lengths to said looper without affecting the synchronization of said looper and said conveyor, and means preventing the advancement of the conveyor by said manually operable means for moving the looper whereby the 12 looper may remain stationary while the stick is advanced.

9. An apparatus for conveying a stick past a looper so as to enable the looper to loop hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points along the side of the stick, comprising a frame, a stick conveyor carried by said frame for intermittently moving the stick longitudinally past said looper in impulses haivng amplitudes substantially equal to the desired distance between the hands of tobacco secured to the stick, and a stick support carried by said frame for receiving the leading end of said stick as it leaves the conveyor, said support being mounted for gravity return movement toward the discharge end of the conveyor when a filled stick is removed therefrom.

10. An apparatus for conveying a stick past a looper so as to enable the looper to loop hands of tobacco or the like at predetermined spaced points along the side of the stick, comprising a frame, a stick conveyor mounted on the frame and having a continuous conveying belt moving toward the looper, a pusher block attached to the conveyin belt for pushing against the trailing end of the moving stick, and a stick sup- :ort slidably mounted on the frame for receiving the leading end of the stick as it leaves the conveyor, said support being mounted for gravity return movement toward the discharge end of the conveyor when afilled stick is removed therefrom.

CYRUS MCNEILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,306,374 Gilbert June 10, 1919 1,376,318 Comstock Apr. 26, 1921 1,518,095 Millis Dec. 2, 192% 

